New parts for new PC (need help - little knowledge of hardware)

[Jason]

Bryan Cassidy wrote:

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>Oh no. I must have explained myself wrong. $400.00 is just for starters.
>I know for a fact I'm gonna buy that case so that leaves me with say
>$300.00 to be on the safe side. Besides the case I would like the
>motherboard to be the first actual piece of hardware I buy. Meaning the
>motherboard could be $300.00 is it is well worth putting into a new
>system. I just want to get the best performance in all ways when using
>FreeBSD on a daily bases, as a server, maybe do some video/image
>editing, playing dvds, don't really care about games on the pc but would
>like some crips clean graphics when using X and it's applications, and
>ANYTHING that I might want to get into later on FreeBSD I want to be
>able to do it fast and use the features the hardware offers that FreeBSD
>supports. I like doing anything and everything pretty much on FreeBSD. I
>just love it. It's just that I want a new machine, I will most likely
>pick up new things to do under FreeBSD and want to do it with the full
>capabilities the OS offers. Like i said, $400.00 is just for starters. I
>am getting the case from Antec for sure, the motherboard I'm sure I want
>to go with ASUS could cost $300.00 and break even with $400.00 for the
>first FEW parts I am getting. The reason I am building the PC is to
>learn about hardware mainly and to have more fun with FreeBSD of course.
>So, the things that I will be doing on FreeBSD are not limited to just
>using Sylpheed, Opera etc. I might pick up something new tomorrow, see a
>feature that FreeBSD offers to make more out of my machine but my
>hardware just doesn't have it. I hope I made myself more clear this
>time.
>
>On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 19:23:16 -0700
><soralx at cydem.org.ua> wrote:
>  
>
    If thats the case I highly recommend a computer based on the amd 
64bit platform.  With this setup you can do everything as normal, but 
when 5.2 is released you get to have a 64bit machine and os.  That is 
unless you run current.  The 64bits can give you over a 100% increase in 
encryption and compresion software at the same clock as a 32bit athlon, 
tar.gz files are a comman example of compression you would use.  
Software video compresion is improved, but not as much.  You should 
check out amdzone.com, as well as any other good hardware site for some 
goodbench marks.  I would not recommend tomshardware.com.  There are 
some dual opteron server boards for over $500 that let you have 16 gigs 
of ram(great for dvd and hdtv video editing), as well as a built in 
ultra wide scsi 320 controller.  I read an article of scsi vs ide 
somewhere recently, basic it came down to this.  A ~500mhz p2 daul sever 
with a 160 scsi controller and 320 disk vs a p4 at 3 or 2.8 ghz with ide 
raid.  The test was to open an email client that stores old emails as 
seperate files, the aurther had 50,000 on both machines.  The verdict: 
the p4 took about 7.5 mins, the scsi machine took 28 seconds.  So if you 
want to edit video and do it fast go with scsi.  It must be pretty 
obvious by now I have scsi envy because I'm stuck with a 40gig mator at 
133mb/s(Advertised!). 
    I would go with an all in wonder ati video card.  They now can 
capture hd with componet in the 9800 is the fastest consumer card on the 
market now.  If you add up all the free video editing software you get 
for windows(worth maybe something to a windows user) and half life 2 
they are giving away with some card models, it is a great deal.
    If your motherboard is an nforce with soundstorm, you don't need a 
sound card.  If it is not I would recomend some soundblaster just 
because they are well supported.  But you could pick any sound card that 
is listed as supported in the handbook and erratta.
    Lcds are great for graphics, if you don't need the high resolution 
or refresh rates.  I'm sure today there are some good lcds out, but to 
do everything a crt does you will need to spend a lot of money, and I 
think that would be better used on a faster video card or a second cpu.